INS Satpura (F48)

INS Satpura during Malabar 2012
Career
Name:	INS Satpura
Namesake:	Satpura range
Builder:	Mazagon Dock Limited
Launched:	4 June 2004
Commissioned:	20 August 2011
Identification:	F48
Motto:	Nishchay, Garv, Sahas (Determination, Pride, Bravery)
Status:	in active service, as of 2015
Badge:
General characteristics
Type:	Guided-missile frigate
Displacement:	6,200 tonnes (6,100 long tons; 6,800 short tons) full load[1]
Length:	142.5 m (468 ft)[2]
Beam:	16.9 m (55 ft)
Draught:	4.5 m (15 ft)
Installed power:	2 × Pielstick 16 PA6 STC Diesel engines 15,200 shp (11,300 kW) 2 × GE LM2500+ 33,600 shp (25,100 kW)
Propulsion:	boost turbines in CODOG configuration.
Speed:	32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph)[3] 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) (diesel engines)
Complement:	257 (35 officers)
Sensors and processing systems:	1 × MR-760 Fregat M2EM 3-D radar 4 × MR-90 Orekh radar 1 × Elta EL/M-2238 STAR 2 × Elta EL/M-2221 STGR 1 × BEL APARNA HUMSA (hull-mounted sonar array) ATAS/Thales Sintra towed array systems
Electronic warfare and decoys:	BEL Ajanta electronic warfare suite
Armament:	Anti-air missiles: 32-cell VLS launched Barak 1 missiles 24× Shtil-1 medium range missiles Anti-ship/Land-attack missiles: 8 × VLS launched Klub, anti-ship cruise missiles or 8 × VLS launched BrahMos, anti-ship and land-attack cruise missiles Guns: 1 × 3.0-inch Otobreda, naval gun 2 × AK-630 CIWS Anti-submarine warfare: 2 × 2 DTA-53-956 torpedo launchers 2 × RBU-6000 (RPK-8) rocket launchers
Aircraft carried:	2 × HAL Dhruv or Sea King Mk. 42B helicopters.

INS Satpura (F48) is a Shivalik-class stealth multi-role frigate built for the Indian Navy. She was built at the Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) located in Mumbai. Construction of the vessel began in 2002 and was completed by 2010. She underwent sea trials from thereon before being commissioned on 20 August 2011 into the Eastern Naval Command headquartered at Vishakapatnam.^[4]

INS Satpura features improved stealth and land attacking features over the preceding Talwar-class frigates.^[4]

Design and description

The Indian Navy conceived Project 17 for design of stealthy frigates to be designed and built in India.^[5][6] The Directorate of Naval Design (DND)'s design of the Shivalik class called for "5000 ton stealth frigates (Project 17) incorporating advanced signature suppression and signature management features".^[7] The first three units were formally ordered by the Indian Navy in early 1999.^[8]

General characteristics and propulsion

INS Satpura has a length of 142.5 m (468 ft) overall, a beam of 16.9 m (55 ft) and a draft of 4.5 m (15 ft). The ships displaces about 4,900 tonnes (4,800 long tons; 5,400 short tons) at normal load and 6,200 tonnes (6,100 long tons; 6,800 short tons) at full load. The complement is about 257, including 35 officers.

The ship uses two Pielstick 16 PA6 STC Diesel engines and two GE LM2500+ boost turbines in CODOG configuration providing a total of 47,370 shp (35,320 kW) of power. This allows the ship to reach a maximum speed of 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph).

Electronics and sensors

INS Satpura is equipped with a wide range of electronics and sensors. These include

• 1 × MR-760 Fregat M2EM 3-D radar
• 4 × MR-90 Orekh radars
• 1 × Elta EL/M-2238 STAR
• 2 × Elta EL/M-2221 STGR
• 1 ×BEL APARNA

In addition, it uses HUMSA (hull-mounted sonar array), ATAS/Thales Sintra towed array systems and the BEL Ajanta Electronic Warfare suite.^[4]

Armament

INS Satpura is equipped with a mix of Russian, Indian and Western weapon systems. These include the 3.0-inch Otobreda naval gun, Klub and BrahMos supersonic anti-ship missiles, Shtil-1 anti-aircraft missiles, RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launchers and DTA-53-956 torpedo launchers. A 32 cell VLS launched Barak SAM and AK-630 act as Close-in weapon systems (CIWS). The ship also carries two HAL Dhruv or Sea King Mk. 42B helicopters.^[4]

Construction and service

The keel of INS Satpura was laid in October 2002. She was formally launched in June 2004 and was commissioned on 20 August 2011 after undergoing extensive sea trials in 2010.^[4]

Operational history

The EL/M-2238 STAR radar onboard Satpura

INS Satpura participated in the Malabar 2012 exercise with the United States Navy along with destroyers INS Ranvir (D54), INS Ranvijay (D55), corvette INS Kulish (P63) and replenishment oiler INS Shakti (A57). The other ships which participated in the exercise included Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 1 of the US Navy, comprising ^[9]USS Carl Vinson, embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17, Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG-97). Military Sealift Command's fast combat support ship USNS Bridge (T-AOE-10) also provided support for the exercise.^[10]

References

Ship classes of the Indian Navy Aircraft carriers Majestic Viraat (Centaur) Vikramaditya (Kiev) Vikrant* Destroyers Rajput Delhi Kolkata* Visakhapatnam* Frigates Godavari Brahmaputra Talwar Shivalik Project 17A* Corvettes Veer Abhay Khukri Kora Kamorta* Abhay class replacement* Conventional submarines Kalvari (1967) + Vela + Sindhughosh Shishumar Kalvari* Project 75I* Nuclear submarines Attack submarine Charlie + Akula-II Indian SSN* Ballistic missile submarine Arihant** Arihant follow-on** Amphibious warfare ships Kumbhir Magar Shardul Jalashwa Patrol craft Seaward Sukanya Super Dvora Mk II Trinkat Bangaram Car Nicobar Saryu Makar Minesweeper Pondicherry Replenishment ship Deepak Komandarm Fedko Aditya Ambika Tugboats Anand Anjan Arga Balram Bhim Gaj Madan Singh Ferries GSL Manoram Shalimar* Barges Poshak Vipul* Modest* Corporated* Hooghly* Training Tir ABG-class Cadet Training Ship * Under construction/procurement ** SSBN List of active Indian Navy ships Submarines of the Indian Navy List of ships of the Indian Navy

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